Bandcamp Picks - Behemoth, Outre, Entropia, Lucifericon

The mighty Behemoth have returned, to once again set the internet ablaze with fiery debates. At times, I Loved You At Your Darkest hearkens back to the band's folky early years, when acoustic guitars overlapped shards of freezing guitar. Gone is the blatant appropriation Morbid Angel's schtick of recent Behemoth albums, replacing blessed sickness with a progressive black metal sound that inches towards what countrymen Thaw and Blaze of Perdition have been doing - thus hinting that what's simmering underground hasn't escaped Nergal's attention as his star continues to rise. Elsewhere, a chorus of chanting children on "God=Dog" are employed for Christ-denying blasphemy - a sort of Satanic Mickey Mouse Club. Whatever your opinion of Behemoth was beforehand, this album probably won't change it. [Personally, I remain convinced that Apostasy is the band's most accomplished and underappreciated work.] At this stage of their career, Behemoth has joined Emperor and Opeth as bands too big to be constrained to a single genre or subculture - for better or worse. [$10 AUD]



Similarly, the death/black scene from whence Nergal emerged has grown past the simplistic Satanic and neo-pagan obsessions of its early days - a fact exemplified by Krakow's Outre. Anchored by a drum performance that's meticulous in its blanketing assault, Hollow Earth employs eerie melodies and unsettling dischordance without losing the pure venomous speed that gave black metal's second wave its cachet. [€7 EUR]



From their earliest recordings, Entropia declared themselves explorers on the vanguard of extremity - but they've outdone themselves with their latest release. Vacuum stretches its blackened wings into post-punk and kraut rock domains, breaking up its bleak atmosphere with jangly guitars, new wave keyboards and funky drums. Rivaling Dodheimsgard for genre-blending audacity, this is the most adventurous black metal album of 2018. [€7 EUR]



With members of Dutch veterans Pentacle in its ranks, it goes without saying Lucifericon know a thing or two about death and evil. Restrained in terms of pure speed, Al-Khem-Me nonetheless is uniformly sinister in its melange of mid-paced death/black/thrash. Proof that blasphemy works without blastbeats. [€6.66 EUR]

Bandcamp Picks: Solar Temple, Slavehouse, Sainte Marie des Loups, Terranaut/Chaosophy

There's not much info to be found about the clandestine Dutch duo Solar Temple, but their latest release is bound to change that. With two songs lasting over a half hour, Fertile Descent uses droning repetition to hypnotic effect, adding noise and industrial elements that bring the avant inclinations of Swans and Godlesh to atmospheric black metal. I've been listening to this twice a day since it came out and it hasn't gotten old yet. Truly sublime. [€7]



Sadly, purveyor of fine blackened filth Fallen Empire is ending its operations soon, but not before leaving us a few new releases and the taste of ashes in our mouth. After making waves with their demo, masked provocateurs Slavehouse are ready to prove the hype is real with their first album. Taste in Pain wraps bondage gear around some truly vicious black/death 'n' roll, and the results sound like a night out with Craft and the Mentors: Abrasive, unruly, and a hell of a lot of fun. The album is available as a "name your price" download.



French solo project Sainte Marie des Loups keeps it cold and kvlt. The eponymous debut is unabashedly raw and uncompromising, with swarms of angry bees for guitars, drums that sound like they were recorded a town away, and keyboards that are little more than MIDI beeps. Expect nothing more than unpolished, unrepentant, unholy black metal - so pure, so cold. The album is available as a "name your price" download.


It's doubtful anyone will ever fill the void that Fallen Empire leaves behind, but a new split release from Horror Pain Gore Death will keep playlists darker than black. Kicking off the proceedings are Chicago's Terranaut, who elevate themselves above generic second wave proclivities with an assembly of memorable riffs and catchy as hell songs. Wisconsin's Chaosophy opt for a more sinister sound, with a style that borders on death metal and a contempt for religion that spells danger for nearby churches. The war against the light rages on. [$6.66]